Rubber pants dryer



Augi'fi, 1957 I J. c. GIBBS, JR

RUBBER PANTS DRYER Filed Ju11 20, 1956 INVENTOR. JONAVHAN C. Gags:

AT TO Q N EYS United States Patent RUBBER PANTS DRYER Jonathan C. Gibbs, Jr., Jersey City, N. J. Application July 20, 1956, Serial No. 599,073

- 2. Claims. Cl. 223-61) The present invention, a drying rack for infants rubber pants and like garments, may be summarized briefly as comprising a single length of stout wire shaped to include a suspension hook and an annular, regularly convoluted body particularly designed to facilitate the application a n d the removal of certain types of garments, especially garments such as infants rubber pants and the like, having resiliently contracted waists.

In the drying of certain garments such as those specified above, difficulties are often experienced. For example, the material used in infants rubber pants tends to stick together in folds when the garment is wet, and as a result swift and complete drying of the garment often cannot be achieved.

The main object of the dryer constituting the invention is to so support garments of the type described that they will be fully opened, so that all areas thereof will be exposed to the air, and will not have the usual tendency to form folds.

A more'particular object is to permit manufacture of the dryer at a minimum of cost. To this end, the formation of the dryer to an annular shape from a single length of wire, in a manner that will provide a relatively broad surface capable of extension into the resiliently contractable waist of the garment, is intended to meet manufacturing requirements, which dictate the formation of an article of this type at very low expense, else it will not be commercially feasible.

Another specific object is to permit the dryer to be swiftly suspended from or readily removed from any of various, readily available supporting devices, such as a shower curtain bar, clothes bar, clothes line, etc.

Yet another object is to adapt the dryer for supporting rubber pants and similar garments efficiently, even though said garments may differ substantially from one anotherin respect to their particular designs or sizes.

Still another object is to provide a dryer as stated that will be compactly formed, so as to permit its storage with like dryers in a relatively small area when not in use.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rubber pants dryer according to the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevational view thereof; and

Figure 3 is an edge elevation of the dryer as seen from the right of Figure 2.

The dryer is formed wholly from a single piece of relatively rigid, stout wire, such as that used in the manufacture of the ordinary wire garment hanger. At one end, the wire is shaped to provide a suspension hook 12, and at its base, the suspension hook merges into an annular support frame or body formed over its full circumference with regularly spaced convolutions 14 of U-shape, having their bights lying in a common plane at 2,801,778 Patented Aug. 6, 1957 ICC one side of the frame. Alternating with the convolutions 14 are oppositely disposed U-shaped convolutions 16. The legs of convolutions 14 are common to those of the convolutions 16. As a result, the length of wire through the full circumference of the support frame is of a serpentine shape, defining regularly spaced recesses 18 opening upon one side of the frame, and alternating with correspondingly spaced recesses 20 opening upon theopposite side of theframe in alternating relation to the convolutions 16.

The other end of the wire terminates at the base or shank of suspension hook 12, and is coiled as at 22 thereabout to close the frame with the suspension hook projecting radially outwardly therefrom.

Due to the particular construction illustrated and described, the frame over its full circumference 'is relatively wide, with the frame being formed of straight, transverse cross members 22 defined by the legs of the convolutions 14 and 16. Cross members 22 extend the full width of the frame, considering the frame at any location upon its circumference, and are integrally connected in positions regularly spaced circumferentially of the frame by the bights of the convolutions 14, 16. The suspension hook has its shank (see Figure 3) lying medially between the opposite sides of the frame.

In use, a pair of rubber pants, having the conventional elasticized waist, is separated at the waist: to permit the waist portion of the garment to be fitted upon the frame at one side thereof. This opens the garment to an extent sufiicient to insure that all areas, in particular the inner surface thereof, will be fully exposed to air for the purpose of quickly drying the same. At the same time, the attachment of the garment to the dryer or hanger in the manner described prevents the formation of folds in the material of the garment, further aiding in efiicient drying thereof.

One might, in fact, apply two pairs of the rubber pants to the same dryer, one extending from one side and the other from the other side of the annular frame. This is facilitated by disposition of the shank of the suspension hook in a plane midway between those of the opposite sides of the frame.

A further important characteristic of the invention resides in the fact that the frame is formed to a substantial width to provide a better grip of the garment thereon, with this result being achieved despite the fact that the device is fashioned entirely from a single length of wire material. Further, the use of regularly spaced cross members, and bight portions connected between the same, provides an irregular surface on the frame, having a particular adaptability to increase the grip of the elasticized waist of the garment upon the frame.

It is also worthy of note that the device may be made of any suitable material, for example metal or plastic, and can be used for the drying of any type of plastic or rubber garment or container which will fit it, as for example, garment or vegetable bags such as are used in refrigerators, refrigerator dish covers, etc.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claim is:

1. A garment dryer comprising an annular frame of substantial width; and a suspension hook projecting radially, outwardly therefrom, said frame having a plurality of recesses opening upon one side of said frame and a recess between adjacent recesses opening upon the opposite side thereof to increase the grip of the garment thereon, the frame being formed wholly from a single length of wire material.

, 2, A garment dryer comprising a single length of wire shaped to include at one end a suspension hook, the remaining portion of said length being formed as an annular frame having alternating, oppositely disposed convolu'tions over its full circumference, the other end of said length being connected to the suspension hook, said convolution including legs extending from side to side of the frame and regularly spaced apart over the full circumference of the frame, the convolutions including a first series of convolutions. having their bights lying in a common plane'at one side of the frame, and a second series of convolutions having their bights in a common plane at the other side of the frame, the convolutions of the second series being disposed in alternating relation to the convolutions of the first series.

3-. A garment dryer comprising a single length of wire shaped to include at one end a suspension hook, the remaining portion of said length being formed as an annular frame having alternating, oppositely disposed convolutions over its full circumference, the other end of said length being connected to the suspension hook, said convolutions including legs extending from side to side of the frame and regularly spaced apart over the full circumference of the frame, the convolutions including a first series of convolutions having their bights lying in a common plane at one side of the frame, and a second series of convolutions having their bights in a common plane at the other side of the frame, the convolutions of the second series being disposed in alternating relation to the convolutions of the first series, the suspension hook having its shank in a plane occurring midway between the opposite sides of the frame. 

